Question:

My son has the worst eczema and it breaks my heart. The doctor just threw a bunch of steroid creams at me, but I really want to try some sort of more natural relief…do you know of any good natural eczema remedies? ~ Sarah

Answer:

Hi Sarah, That’s heart wrenching–it’s so hard to see your little ones hurting 🙁 We strive to be careful to not undermine any doctor’s advice because we aren’t doctors, chemists or anything like that. But what we are, is moms, who will do anything to fight for our babies. That is actually the reason we do Nature’s Knockout, because of Tiffany’s auto-immune disease and our urge to get the word out. So now that we’ve gotten all of the disclaimer talk out, we recommend studying it out for yourself, and in the mean time, here are some natural eczemaremedies that we’ve found that seem to work wonderfully…

NATURAL & ORGANIC SOAPS

With your son’s eczema, it’s important to avoid all products containing sodium laureth or sodium lauryl sulphate (for more info on those, head to our I Spy Videos( under “Is it safe” in Beauty) It’s best to make sure he only uses natural or organic soaps, shampoos, laundry detergents…but even if an item says it’s natural, check the ingredients to make sure it’s completely non-chemical. Also, coconut oil can be really helpful too.

USE WATER SPARINGLY

Water is the worst irritant and literally fuels the eczema, so make sure to protect the skin from water. You can apply coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil to the skin a few minutes before immersing in water, then wash with a gentle, safe soap, and follow up with a little oil after towel drying the skin.

LUBRICATE

The skin needs lubrication, not hydration. So that means, using healthy oils is good, using water or products with water is not so good (boo)

BEWARE OF LOTION

That is–at least, until the skin is healthier. Most lotions tend to aggravate eczema because of the high water content in them. And unfortunately, that even includes many of the safe and natural ones. Heavy lubricating creams and oils are the best for protecting and nourishing the skin to get it back to a more healthy state.

That said, there are always going to be exceptions, which in this case, we are thrilled about. We’ve found one natural eczema oil treatment that worked super well, and yes, we’re happy to share!

FRAGRANCE

One more thing–get away from fragrance and any product that contains it. Even if it says “natural fragrance or fragrance blends” the skin can’t be fooled. :-/ So what about essential oils? We feel they can be therapeutic in many cases, but because the skin we’re discussing is hyper-sensitive, we say proceed with extreme caution. In most cases it’s better to avoid essential oils while the skin is inflamed. Read our concerns about Essential Oils on this site.

LOCK IN PROTECTION

Oops, I just thought of another, so one last thing :).. covering the skin after lubricating it will help tremendously. If eczema or dermatitis is on the hands, apply a lubricant, put cotton gloves on, and keep them on for a few hours or overnight. The skin will usually respond well.

BE INFORMED

And I don’t want to get off on a negative note, but when it comes to steroid creams, use them sparingly if you have to, but be sure to read all of the side effects thoroughly, because they are real.

FOODS

Some foods may cause a reaction in people who are eczema prone…some to watch for are red meats, sea food, eggs, dairy, GMO grains, breads with yeast, additives, preservatives, blueberries, tomatos, lemons, and lime. Psssst, I’ll share a secret–I have eczema too. I guess it’s not really a secret because I blab it all the time. Sorry, off task—anyway, I can have those items when my skin is doing well, but when it’s broken out, I try to avoid them until I can get it under control.

Also, many eczema sufferers have food allergies, so pinning down the culprits can be life changing. You can go to a doctor to get blood tests done or by eliminating items from your diet for up to 6 mos, then re-introducing them in mass amounts to see if reactions occur.

Something to add to the diet is more probiotics or acidophilus on a daily basis. You can get them through pure cultured yogurts, keifers, and lacto-fermented juices and veggies. We use coconut milk to make ours and they are super simple and yummy to make, but for those who still want dairy, goats milk can be a better option than cow milk and typically doesn’t have all of the antibiotics and hormones in it.

FOR ADULTS ONLY: If the eczema has a thick and rough texture and no lesions, freshly ground sea salt can be added to the coconut oil to scrub the area (not close to the eyes though)…often eczema will respond well to that as it usually carries bacteria that the salt fights. Remove it with a damp cloth and reapply the coconut oil to relubricate. Please be sure skin is not broken or the salt could really hurt.

Another thing to consider is that if the acid mantle has been stripped, it can cause eczema breakouts. One way to restore the acid mantle is by applying a tiny amount of apple cider vinegar to the affected area.

KEEP IT UP

And if you do all of the good things above, you might see some relief–stay on the path and even though it’s in remission, keep using safe products so you can keep it at bay. Hope that helps–I’m crossing my fingers for ya!

The medical community recanted the info about water being bad for eczema. I’ve been battling blasted eczema for almost 15 years with one of my babies, and one of the things I first noticed was that letting the bunchkin soak in the tub for as long as it would be tolerated, vastly improved his eczema.

At the time, all the doctors were saying water was the devil, and to avoid it at all costs. They recanted that several years ago, and finally came around to my way of thinking. ;o) lol

I don’t know if they’ve changed their tune again, but many years ago, they made a concerted effort to get the recanted ‘water is bad’ message out.

The thing that does the absolute BEST for us, is soaking in Dead Sea Salt. We put 2 cups into the bath, and not only is it great for treating eczema, but it *seems* to pull certain toxins out of the body. I’m not sure if that is even possible, but is sure seems to be the case! I encourage other Mommas to try it, and see how it works for their baby.

I’ve been wondering if making a spray solution of it would be beneficial, but haven’t gotten around to trying it.